GENERAL HUMBERT II

A band that has only produced two albums, one in 1975 and the other in 1982. General Humbert was a traditional folk band that reached its peak in the late 1970s, and perhaps best known for having been the launch pad for singer Mary Black's career, before she joined Dé Danann and then flew on her own with the success we know. An album that also marks the emergence of a very young piper and flutist Vinnie Kilduff who later played with Clannad, Sinéad O'Connor, U2 or the Waterboys. And we also note the presence of guitarist Shay Kavanagh and mandolin player John Donegan.

After several years of touring, the band shows great maturity here and in addition to offering us some magnificent songs, it excels on instrumental music on which the arrangements are particularly remarkable. A rich palette of melodies finds its place here, while the refined arrangements of the songs highlight Mary Black's vocal excellence. Three songs in Irish: Amhrán Pheter Báille, Duilleoga and especially the very famous Mo Ghile Mear, an 18th century Jacobite song composed by Seán Clárach Mac Dónaill, one of the most famous Gaelic poets.

Let's also note the appearance of fiddler Kevin Glackin on a superb series of reels. And icing on the cake, the album was produced by Nicky Ryan who has since made himself famous by producing all of Enya's albums. An album too short by a band that unfortunately did not last.

Gael Linn CEFCD 095 - www.gael-linn.ie